Postby cantreadicelandic » 2016-03-02, 4:20
Hello All,
I have been trying to understand some poems (or in some cases extracts of poems), written in a combination of Old Norse and (more often) Icelandic. Sadly, I have no experience of any other language than English (except for German and French at school three decades ago), so it is tough going, and I am probably not any closer than Google Translate, which is worse than useless.
The first one I have been trying to fathom is Sálmur yfir víni by Hannes Hafstein (three of the five stanzas, as printed in "Songs for the Philologists"). I've just been trying to look up the words, but my understanding of the grammar is so limited that I'm in the land of guesswork more often than not.
Guð let fögur vinber vaxa,
vildi gleðja dapran heim.
gefið hafði hann gnægðir axa,
goðar hjarðir, nogan sein,
þreyttust menn við bu að baxa,
bloðið varð svo dökkt i þeim.
Þa let drottinn vinið vaxa,
vildi gleðja dapran heim.
=>
God lets the beautiful grapes grow,
he wants to please the somber world,
He had given him a curse
a good heart, too late,
They tired of the farm,
their blood became so dark,
Then let God’s wine grapes grow,
he wants to please the somber world.
--
Breiddist iðgrænn vafningsviður
við hans boð um aldinreit.
Höfgir klasar hengu niður,
himinsol a skrautið leit.
Glumdi i lopti gleiðikliður,
gloðu herin rauð og heit.
Slongdist iðgrænn vafningsviður,
við hans boð um aldinreit.
=>
Broadest, fresh, green vines,
in his fruit fields.
Had bunches hanging below,
Under the sun in the heavens.
Voices of joy echo above,
Armies’ coals, red and hot.
[Slongdist??] Fresh and green vines,
in his fruit fields.
--
Gloðjist, sagði hann. Gullnar veigar,
gjöra bloðið rautt og lett;
undan þeim hið illa geigar
ef að þeirra er notið rett.
Angur, þreyta og illir beigar
und an flyja a harða sprett.
Gloðjist, sagði hann. Gullnar veigar
gjöra bloðið rautt og lett.
=>
Be glad, he said, golden Veigar
of blood, red and light;
before the fear of failing???
???
Worry, tiredness and evil ?bend?
????
Be glad, he said, golden Veigar
of blood, red and light;
The other one I have been looking at is three stanzas of Gubben Noach, as translated into icelandic by by Eiríkur Björnsson
Gamli Noi, gamli guðhræddur og vis;
mikilshattar maður,
mörgum velviljaður.
þott hann drykki, þott hann drykki, þa samt bar hann pris.
=>
Old Noah, old and pious and wise;
An important man,
that means well.
But he drinks, But he drinks,
then he still ??
--
Aldrei drakk hann, aldrei drakk hann of mikið i senn,
utan einu sinni
a hann trui eg rynni.
Glappaskotin, glappaskotin, ganga svo til enn.
==>
Never drink it, Never drink it
too much at once,
???
--
Viltu vinur, viltu vinur vita hvar hann sat?
Bustaður einn batur,
Borginn var rjett latur,
Gamli Noi, gamli Noi hæst a Ararat.
=>
Wants a friend, wants a friend to know where he sat?
House on a boat
Our city ??? lazy? ??
Old Noah, Old Noah on the heights of (Mount) Ararat.
Any help would be much appreciated. Not looking for poetic words, just the plain meaning of what is there. Also, if anyone has any good suggestions on resources to go to as a primer on the language, that would be great.
Thanks
Stu